Lifestyle blog for the modern muslimah.

Summer Vibes: Backyard Essentials

If you have been following along on my Instagram stories, you will have noticed that we have moved from our Toronto condo to a house (still in Toronto), and the timing for this couldn’t be better! With the summer creeping up, I am so excited to start gardening, having BBQs and of course, decorating the new space.

Our backyard already had a large deck, firepit (find your fave one here), and a cute gazebo and I wanted to fill the space up with some furniture and seating space as quickly as possible so I could start enjoying it. Although it’s a process (houses are hard work!), and we’re in the middle of Ramadan, I have done as much as I can! I would still like to add some white sheer curtains around the gazebo to keep bugs away and some raised garden beds to bring some more greenery to the back! Read on to see what I did so far.

To start with, I picked up some really fun dishes. I really wanted to get the most colourful things I could since my interior home decor is mostly monochrome and minimalist. I spotted this super cute flamingo/tropical-themed melamine dinner set for outdoors and knew I had to have it! During the Victoria day long weekend we went down to the U.S. to shop and I fell in love as soon as I saw these at Target (I am still not over the fact that they left 😭😭😭).

After grabbing the dishes, I rushed like nobody’s business to get the number one summer must-have –string lights! The best way to get anything you want asap is to just order online. My go-to for home decor, accessories and furniture is Wayfair. I absolutely love them since it’s a one stop shop for everything that I need. Another perk is that I never have to worry about delivery fees or cramming everything into our car!

I also got my hands on a backyard dining table and a small table-top BBQ. Both of these items are things we debated over in terms of purchasing. Mainly because we are not sure how long we will be in a house and don’t want to commit to a large BBQ or a massive table if we won’t be able to bring it along with us! One last thing I may want to add is an outdoor rug below the table and I am already eyeing some beautiful ones on Wayfair…

Since we don’t have a year-round summer, it’s a good idea to consider how often you’ll be using these types things. It is also a good idea to think about how many people will be using these items. For me, it’s just the two of us, and as much as I enjoy entertaining, realistically it doesn’t happen often enough for me to justify splurging. Again, another great place to score good deals is online or even on Kijiji.

One of my favourite things I put together for the backyard were the seats around my fire pit. They’re just cushions on top of some pallets but they are the perfect height and have the cutest al fresco dining vibe for a summer backyard! As I add more things, I will share more backyard DIYs so keep an eye out!

Keep up with I’m currently working on by following along on my social channels. You can find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.